New visitor experience at Manila American Cemetery

The Manila American Cemetery in Taguig City.
The Manila American Cemetery in Taguig City.

THE Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City was dedicated in 1960 to honor the sacrifices and achievements of American military forces killed during the fight for the Pacific between December 1941 and September 1945.

It is the world’s largest United States military cemetery and is the final resting place of 17,058 American service members. It also commemorates 32,286 individuals missing in action or lost at sea.

This beautiful cemetery, set in 61 hectares, is a popular spot for local and foreign visitors and the experience will be greatly enhanced with the official opening on Saturday of a new interpretive visitor center. Coincidentally, the opening marked the 75th anniversary of the return of Gen. Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines.

The new center covers an area of 1,022 square meters and features an extensive exhibit gallery showing many artifacts from the war. It also

boasts a state-of-the-art theatre that shows a 17-minute film highlighting the contributions and sacrifices of the US and the Philippines in the fight for the Pacific during WWII.

“The center will provide informative and emotional context to why and who the Manila American Cemetery commemorates including 29 Medal of Honor recipients”, said a spokesperson for the American Battle Monuments Commission, the US Government agency that administers American military ceremonies.

“The center is unique in that it is mindfully integrated into the central grounds of the cemetery, allowing visitors to learn first-hand the personal stories of the men and women buried beneath the white marble headstones visible from the site.”

Admission to the cemetery and the visitor center is free.

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